Sometimes being patient just pays off. That’s certainly the case for Southmont senior quarterback Nolan Boyer.
The past three seasons Boyer has been the backup signal caller behind Nick Scott who graduated last year. Now Boyer has his chance to lead Southmont football and continue the Mounties winning ways.
In his freshman season, Boyer did get playing time in the second half of the year after Scott went down with a season-ending injury. Since that time Boyer has been waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
Now in his final season with the Mounties he gets that chance and as Southmont football coach Desson Hannum says, he’s more than earned it.
“The first thing that really stands out about Nolan is that he’s overall more mature than he was as a freshman. He’s physically, emotionally and just more mentally mature. Those are the big things that stand out to me about him. He was basically thrown to the wolves in his freshman year when Nick went down. That wasn’t an easy thing for us to ask of him especially in the tough Sagamore Conference. He was a 14-15 year old going up against 18-19 year olds and trying to stay above water.”
Boyer himself has not only waited in the wings for three years, but also had to handle a few times where he’s been hurt the last few seasons.
While the journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing he knows that his hard work and determination have helped him get where he is now.
“It’s been a long road to get here, but I’m just happy to be in this position,” Boyer said. “For some guys sitting back and learning the last the years may not have been ideal for them, but I used it to just focus on getting better. Now I think I’m in pretty good position for my senior year. I really trust my teammates and our coaches. I think we have all the tools to go out there and get the job done.”
Boyer is coming into a situation with the Mountie offense where they return bruiser fullback Wyatt Woodall along with a pair of wide receivers in Aaron McMasters and Kyler McCandless. Throw in three seniors on the offensive line with Waylon Gomez, Will Cody and Kasey Line.
Being able to lean on veterans on the offense along with Boyer’s senior leadership, the Mounties look to be in good hands for the upcoming year.
“I’m blessed to be able to have a great group of guys around me,” Boyer said of his offense. “We bring a ton of experience to that side of the ball and I think the best thing about that group is even if we aren’t able to make a play, we’re all going to be there to pick each other up and will be there for each other no matter what.”
Being able to lead the Mountie offense didn’t come by just being a senior. Boyer put his skills on display during the summer for the Mounties and earned the starting QB spot.
Hannum also complimented his quarterback for his overall athletic ability. Having overall great athletes is something the Mounties have thrived in under Hannum and he plans on using Boyer’s abilities to their fullest this fall.
“Nolan is a very dynamic athlete first and foremost,” Hannum said. “There’s not many people as fast as he is and bring an element of true speed to the quarterback position. I think people will see that on display many times this year. He’s the kind of quarterback who could take it to the house for an 80 yard run or throw it for an 80 yard score. He’s just able to bring a lot to the table and that’s why he’s our QB1.”
Boyer will lead his Mounties out for week one on Saturday night when Southmont opens up their 2023 season at home against Fountain Central.
This is the first installment in what will be a weekly Saturday feature series in JR Sports. Submit story ideas to sports editor Codey Emerson at codey@jrpress.com or at 765-362-1200, ext. 175.
